Nintendo delays Switch 2 pre-orders in the US over tariff concerns

Nintendo has delayed US pre-orders of its highly anticipated Switch 2 console over tariff concerns.

Pre-orders were expected to begin on April 9th. However, the recently imposed tariffs by President Donald Trump will impact Chinese and Vietnamese imports, both of which are central hubs for building Nintendo consoles.

Chinese manufactured goods are to see new 34% tariffs, while Vietnamese imports are expected to see 46%.

Nintendo has stated it will "assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions”. These new tariffs could impact supply chain costs and inventory, which may potentially ultimately lead to price changes that affect consumers.

The price of the console in the US is set at $449.99.

Price hikes imminent? 

Despite the impact on US pre-orders, the release date of June 5th remains unchanged, and pre-orders in other parts of the world, such as the UK, are unaffected.

Prior to the announcement of the extent of the tariffs, analysts had expressed bullishness for the Switch 2 to have an even more significant launch than the original console.

Prior to the announcement of the delay, we spoke with Ampere Analysis senior research manager for games Louise Wooldridge about what impact the tariffs could have on the games industry.

“The biggest impact in the games space will be on hardware, with the Switch 2 being the main immediate concern,” said Wooldridge.

“Most gaming devices are at least assembled in China, if not built there. Ironically, Nintendo has progressively shifted assembly out of China to avoid tariffs and into Vietnam which has been hit by a 46% rate – likely an unexpected blow. 

“Now that the price is fixed, it probably cannot be adjusted until 2026, so Nintendo – among others – will be hoping for a swift resolution. It is possible that the pricing of $450 included some foresight from Nintendo, though the extent of the tariffs may not have been accounted for.”